It’s easy to forget about a wobbly chair until a visitor gets stuck with it and highlights your incompetence with an offhand remark. If you’ve got a chair like that but have never mustered the time or will to fix it, maybe learning about how it’s done will give you the encouragement you need.

In a 2009 post, Dave the How To Guy gives you two ways to fix a wobbly wooden chair. The first method is the more effective but also arduous. You take apart the loose pieces of the chair, softening old glue with vinegar, before piecing it back together with fresh glue. Then you clamp the pieces together, holding the pressure for 30 minutes before letting it dry overnight.

A quicker fix involves sprinkling a fine powder — such as baking soda, talcum powder or coffee grounds — in a loose joint, then adding glue to solidify the previously wobbly area.

Even if you can’t eliminate the wobble, it’s usually worth trying to fix the chair before you throw it out and get a new one.

How To Fix A Wobbly Chair [Dave the How To Guy]

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